Hundreds of people had already taken their seats inside the sprawling Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Prince George’s County on May 28 for a concert to celebrate Rev. Delman Coates’ 10th anniversary as the congregation’s senior pastor as he began to make his way toward the sanctuary. A church employee nervously tried to shield Coates from any surprises that might have been planned for him as he greeted some of his congregants. Staff and volunteers cheerfully spoke with him before he returned to his office to talk about his decision to become state Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County)’s running mate in her gubernatorial campaign.
“I’ve been fully content with my work as a clergy leader in this community, across the state and around the country,” Coates told the Washington Blade. “It’s not something that I imagined and so I was really honored when Heather approached me about partnering with her.”
Coates spoke with the Blade 27 days before Mizeur faces Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Attorney General Doug Gansler in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
He repeatedly stressed to the Blade that he and Mizeur had already worked together on a number of issues before she first approached him last summer to become her running mate. These include reducing foreclosure rates in Prince George’s County that remain the highest in the state and opposing the expansion of gaming in the state.
Source: Washington Blade | Michael K. Lavers
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